Wood plane



March 20, 1945. H, BENN 2,371,946

WOOD PLANE Filed March 23, 1942 36 jjwt cmfoz 'HUW BU H-5EAW Patented Mar. 20, 1945 v N STA E OFFIC p woonrmim t Howard H. Benn, Detroit; Mich, assignor to Catherine V. Pearce, Oak ParkiIlL' Application March 23, 1942', Serial N04353:)! I

The present invention relates to inwood planes and the like.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a wood plane having provisions for facilitating the removal of accumulated shavings. Y

Another object is to provide an improved cutting blade adjustment mechanism for a wood plane.

A further object is to provide a wood plane having improved means for bevel cutting.

- A still further object is to provide novel means for protectingthe cutting blade of a plane.

Other objects and advantages residing in the combination, arrangement and construction of parts will more fully appear from a consideration of the following specification and the an nexed claims.

In the drawing,- v 1 Fig. 1 is a plan view of the improved plane, 2 is a side elevational view of Fig. 1; partly shown in vertical cross section,

Fig. 3 is a. fragmentary crosssectionalview part in a shaving clearing position, i

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a slightly modified form of the 'invention,

improvements of a portion of Fig. 2' showing the hinged bottom v Z'Claims. (01. 145-15) 38, having a threaded shaft 40 operating in the threaded hole 42 in the body I of the plane. The slot 44 in the blade 30 permits adjustment of the blade with the members just described holdingthe blade firmly against the surface 32. In using the plane, one hand of the operator gripsthe knob handle 38 and the other the rear handle 46. v

A structure for facilitating the removal of accumulated shavings-comprises a hinged bottom portion generally designated by reference character 48, having a main portion 50 which functions as a continuation of the bottom portion 52 of the main body Ill. The bottom portion 50 is illustrated as having upright portions 54 and '6, having holes 58 to receive the shaft 60,

suitably supported at opposite ends in the sides 16 and I8. "As more clearly shown in Fig. 1,

the bottom portion 50 is supported in an openingbetween the sides 16 and l8, and functions and corresponds to the lower'portion of a conventional plane which is usually an integral'part of the' plane bodyin lieu of being hinged as here in disclosed." A spring 62 upon the shaft 61! has one and anchored with respect to the bottom portion 50 and the other end 64 anchored man Referring to the drawing, the principles of the present invention are disclosed in connection with a cast plane body having a rear portion l2, and

a front portion l4 having vertical side portions 1 I6 and I8. Generallyspeakin'g, the improvements of the present invention in plane construction are subject to being embodied in planes of many shapes, sizes and types of constructions, and for this reason it is not my desire to limit myself toany specific type of plane or method of fabrication.

Threaded in the post is a blade adjustment screw 22 having a'knurled head 24. The opposite end of the screw 22 carries a T-shaped mem- 7 her 26 which rotates in a similarly shaped slot 28 in the cutting blade 30. It will be observed that the longitudinal axis of the adjustment screw 22 and cutting blade may be in offset parallel planes or in angularly disposed planes without affecting the operative relation between the T- shaped member 26 and the slot 28.

The blade 30 is supported for sliding adjustment movement on the inclined portion 32, be-

ing held by a spring plate 34, and a coil spring opening 66 in the side [8. Thespring continuously urges the bottom 50 into engagement with the" stop pins 64. and 66 to position the bottom 50 in the same plane as the bottom 52 of the 'mainbody portion l0 ofthe'plane. The tension ofthe spring 62 is such as to maintain the bottom' portion 50' in the position shown in Fig. .2 throughout the normal use. of the plane. It will be noted that the rear end 68 of the bottom 50 terminates short of the gap 10 in the bottom of the plane through which the cutting blade 30 is projected in the usual manner. In the event of an accumulation of shavings in the gap"), up-

ward pressure applied upon the front portion 12 v will cause hinging of the bottom portion 50 as indicated in the dotted outline in Fig. 3. This hinging operation will provide a convenient cleaning of all accumulated chips and shavings forward of the cutting blade and usually occurring in the gap 10. p

The pivotal mounting of the bottom portion 50 affords a very convenient method'of protecting the cutting edge of the blade 30 when the plane is not being used. In the illustrated form of the invention this has been accomplished by providing a threaded stud 12 on the upper surface of the bottom portion 50 to receive a clamping nut 14 having a knurled head 16. The nut 14 is adapted to hold in positions of adjustment a plate 18, having a slot 80 for clearing the stud I2. Integral with the plate 18 are upright portions 82 which may be engaged by the fingers to slide the plate 18 along on the upper surface of the bottom portion 50. In Fig. 3 the bottom 50 is shown suiiiciently tilted to enable the plate 18 to be advanced along the surface of the plate 50 to a point where the end of the plate 18 will be disposed below the pins 54 and 66 and engage the blade 30 above its cutting edge. Through this arrangement the plate 18 may be selectively positioned to hold the bottom member 50 in the position shown in Fig. 3 protecting the cutting blade 30 and permitting the plane to be supported in an upright position without dulling the cutting blade. It will be understood that the clamp nut 14 is tightened and loosened to maintain the plate 18 in different positions of adjustment.

In Fig. 4 is shown a slightly modified form of the invention in which the bottom member 50", hingedly supported upon the shaft 60, has a width corresponding to the width of the main body of the plane and when in operative position is urged upwardly by the spring 62' into the recess 82 defined in the side members l6, and I8. The recesses 82 in this manner perform-the function of the positioning pins 64 and 66 in the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, inolu sive.

Where it is desired to cut-a slight bevel with a plane, this can be done by supporting the cutting blade 28 of Figs. 4 and 5 upon a pair of slightly tapered plates 84 and 86. As the taper of the plates 84 and86 is equal but opposite when both of the plates are used as shown in Fig. 5, then the cutting blade 28' is supported level. However, by removing either one or the other of the plates 84 and 86, a bevel in one direction or the other will be cut by the blade 28] for the reason that the blade 28 will assume a slight angle under the pressure of the spring 36' acting through the handle 38' against the clamping blade 34'. The edges of the wedge or tapered plates 84 and 86 are slightly rounded so as to permit the tilting of these blades between the sides I6 and I8 of the plane.

To complete my improved tool provisions are made for working in places where a full stroke of the plane is not possible, as forexample, a corher, At the rear surface 86 screws 88 hold the cutting blade 90 in position. As shown, the projecting sharpened edge 92 will be received in the recess 94 with the blade inverted in an inoperative position. Preferably the holes in the blade 90 are slightly oversized to permit the screw 86 to clamp the blade 90 in different vertical positions of adjustment.

Having thus described my invention what I de sire to secure by Letters Patent and claim is:

1. A wood plane comprising a main body portion provided with a work engaging bottom portion and having a cutting blade receiving support, said body being provided with an opening through the bottom thereof in front of the cutting blade receiving support, a, cutting blade mounted on said support and projecting through the opening, a second bottom portion pivotally supported by the main body portion at the forward end thereof with the rear end terminating suiiiciently in front of the cutting blade to provide cutting clearance therefor and said second bottom portion being downwardly swingable at its rear end to clear the cutting blade, yieldable means normally swinging said second bottom portion upwardly to lie in a plane with the work engaging bottom portion, stop means limiting upward movement of the swinging end of said second body portion, and means insertable between the swinging end and said stop means and lowering the swingable end sufiiciently to interpose said end as a protection for the cutting edge of the blade.

2. A wood plane comprisin a main body portion provided with a work engaging bottom portion and having a cutting blade receiving support, said body being provided with an opening through the bottom thereof infront of the cutting blade receiving support, a cutting blade mounted on said support and projecting through the opening, a second bottom portion pivotally supported by the main body portion at the forward end thereof with the rear end terminating sufiiciently in front of the cutting blade to provide cutting clearance therefor and said second bottom portion being downwardly swingable at its rear end to clear the cutting blade, yieldable 40 means normally swinging said second bottom portion upwardly to lie in a, plane with the work engaging bottom portion, stop means normally engaged by the swinging end of said second bottom portion positioning said second portion in a plane with the 'work engaging bottom portion of the main body, a plate slidably mounted on said second bottom portion movable to a position interposed between the swinging end of said second portion and the stop and in engagement with the blade above the cutting edge thereof and to a second position withdrawn from contact with said stop means, and means to hold said sliding plate in each of its adjusted positions.

HOWARD H. BENN. 

